New York Jets' Alarming Lack of Pass Rush Dooms Them Against Miami Dolphins

The New York Jets couldn't generate a pass rush in their loss to the Miami Dolphins and it led to their ninth loss in 10 games.

Dec 8, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) drops back with the ball during the second half against the New York Jets at Hard Rock Stadium. | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The New York Jets' losing streak continued on Sunday afternoon when they lost to the Miami Dolphins 32-26 in overtime.

That is now four in a row for the team, which is 3-10 on the year and has lost nine out of its last ten games. It feels as if the team finds a new way to lose games every week, as something collapses and leads to defeat.

This time, it was the team’s pass rush.

Expected to be a strength for the Jets in 2024, they haven’t been able to consistently get after the quarterback all season. An injury to Jermaine Johnson II and Haason Reddick not making an appearance since Week 8 certainly played a part.

But on Sunday, their woes of rushing the passer reached a new low.

When facing off against the Dolphins, you know that they are going to be aggressive attempting to move the ball downfield. Tua Tagovailoa is the most accurate quarterback in the NFL right now, completing 73.8 percent of his passes on the season.

Against New York, it had to feel as if he was taking part in a seven-on-seven drill at practice. He completed 33-of-47 attempts for 331 yards and two touchdowns.

Tagovailoa had all of the time in the world in the pocket as his offensive line dominated in the trenches. He could scan the field and find open receivers seconds after the snap because the Jets could not lay a finger on him.

How bad did things get on Sunday afternoon?

As shared by Brian Costello of the New York Post, New York recorded zero quarterback hits despite him dropping back 47 times to pass. The only contact that was made with him all afternoon was when Quinnen Williams was flagged for roughing the passer.

The Jets had zero QB hits. Tua attempted 47 passes.

— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) December 8, 2024

The Jets did a really good job of shutting down the Miami rushing attack, as they managed only 44 yards on 19 carries. De’Von Achane led the way with only 24 yards on 14 attempts.

Despite turning them into a one-demensional offense, the Jets still managed to blows fourth quarter lead twice; they entered the final stanza up eight and took a three-point lead with 52 seconds remaining only to allow a field goal with seven seconds left in regulation after allowing a 45-yard return on the kickoff to Malik Washington.

In overtime, the Dolphins marched right down the field as Tagovailoa completed six passes in a row after an incompletion to begin the extra 10-minute period, as he picked them apart all afternoon from the comfort of the pocket.